Top Online Dating Tips

Hi, my name is Russ Ruggles, and I have been meeting women online for well over a decade.
Along the way, I developed a methodology through which you can clearly present the interesting you, and
secure a date online. more »

Match.com profile photo tips

It doesn’t matter how well you write your profile, if you don’t present yourself attractively with your profile photos, women won’t even get to the part of reading about you. Period. A good main profile photo will ensure that a match click’s through to see more when you do The “Who’s Viewed Me” Shuffle. But, whether you’re good-looking or not, the quality of the photo can make all of the difference. Poor lighting, “red-eye” or the wrong facial expression can all make even Adonis look more like Quasimodo. Your profile photo should be the best (recent) photo ever taken of you. Here’s some advice for getting the right main profile photo

Smile – or don’t. It all depends on the archetype that you’re presenting. For example, if you really are “the hot guy,” then maybe you can get away with a more sultry stare. Otherwise, you’ll need a smile. A real smile. This can be tough to pull off when trying to take a picture of yourself, so next time you’re either out with friends, or at a wedding – some place where you’ll really be smiling (because you’re surrounded by friends and/or family), make sure you get a picture that includes you with a big, real smile.

Just you. Personally, I feel weird about including any of my friends or family members in any of my photos. You may feel otherwise, but definitely don’t include a picture of your ex. If you don’t already know how to crop a photo – then figure it out, and definitely don’t “black out” or paint over any faces.

Don’t be afraid to go pro. If you just can’t dig up a great photo of yourself, you may want to hire a professional to take a sort of “head shot” of you. Like I say, good lighting can make all of the difference, and they can certainly take care of that for you.

If the main photo is the golden arches that direct her to get closer, then the other photos are smell of fresh french fries that brings her in. Interesting supporting photos, along with a well-written profile, will ensure you get response when you send a one-line hook. Rather than just being a repeat of the “head on” photo that you have for your main profile, these photos should be the absolutely most interesting photos you have, with conversation nuggets that make your match want to message you. Here are some guidelines.

Be interesting. As a guideline, think about the conversations that could be started by a photo. For example, if there’s a photo of you eating a gigantic pretzel at Oktoberfest, that’sinteresting. If she asks about it, you can tell her all about your trip around Germany – or maybe she recognizes the scenery and has a story she’s dying to tell you about her own trip. If it’s just a photo of you standing in your hallway, that’s not interesting. Hopefully that doesn’t need any more explanation.

Stay dignified. I don’t care if your archetype is “the joker,” your photos still have to be dignified. This isn’t to say that your photos shouldn’t display your sense of humor a bit, but be careful. When in doubt, ask yourself “do I look in control of the situation in this photo?” If the answer is “yes,” you should be okay. Photo of you gracefully in command of a unicycle with a big grin on your face: okay. Photo of you with a “kick me” sign on your back, getting kicked: not okay.

Adorable by association. Don’t be afraid to include photos of you with things that the woman of your dreams will associate positive feelings with. So, if you’re a dog person, go ahead and take a photo of you with a cute dog in your life. I have three pictures of me, with different dogs. I’m not kidding – and it certainly hasn’t hurt.

Keep your shirt on, but let her see your pants. One complaint I’ve heard from many women regarding men’s profiles is “there’s too many guys with their shirts off.” It doesn’t matter what kind of bod’ you have – there’s no excuse for that in your profile. However, just like you expect them to have a photo or two where you can get an idea of their body type, so should you – it’s only fair.

Got profile photos you’d like me to review? Just send them to russruggles@gmail.com, and I can give you my best advice. All photos will remain private unless we agree otherwise.